Taking the bitter with the sweet

Two minute trip to Paris

My friend J. wanted to meet for lunch at Tal’s Bagels near 54th and 1st today, but when I rounded the corner to look for the deli, I really wanted to go to Financier Patisserie two doors down. “Can we go in for just a second?” I asked her after we downed some tasty but humble split pea soup and bagel with tuna salad at Tal’s. The place was alight with the most beautiful and tight (dare I employ such a slangy adjective?) classic French pastries behind a sparkly pane of glass, all the goodies so close yet so far away. Everything looked delectable and shiny with apricot glaze nappage, but one really caught my eye because I had never seen it before: the Adrienne, which looked like a Napoleon with pistachio mousse. J. really wanted a coconut macaroon quickly before she had to head back to work (not a French macaron, which were also available), and when I asked for it by name—“A coconut rocher, please”—the counterkeep, in a French accent, asked, “What?? What did you say?” in such a distasteful way that I wondered if 1) I was pronounching rocher right (ro-shay) and 2) I should really be getting the Adrienne, non? Tant pis. We gobbled down the macaroon split right down the middle (J. had asked them to cut it, and one of the cash register people half-joked to the other, “Cutting costs extra.”) in the window seats facing 1st Ave., then we had to bid a quick farewell. So, not quite the right substitute for fully relishing all the flavors of an apple galette at Gerard Mulot or some expensive sweet at Laduree overlooking Oh Champs-Elysee, but at least I know now where to go (five locations in NYC) for the closest thing.